State Rep. Tenisha Yancey has introduced MI-HB4098, WHY?

State Rep. Tenisha Yancey who represents Detroit has introduced MI-HB4098 which would, among other thing, change the penal code to remove the word “prostitute” and replace it with “person engaged in commercial sexual activity”. I guess this is to eliminate the stigma associated with a woman selling her body to any stranger who walks by. It’s part of the “race to the bottom” by normalizing all forms of human deviancy. Rep. Yancey seams like a reasonable person, why would she do this?

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Originally Posted by CassTechGrad

State Rep. Tenisha Yancey who represents Detroit has introduced MI-HB4098 which would, among other thing, change the penal code to remove the word “prostitute” and replace it with “person engaged in commercial sexual activity”. I guess this is to eliminate the stigma associated with a woman selling her body to any stranger who walks by. It’s part of the “race to the bottom” by normalizing all forms of human deviancy. Rep. Yancey seams like a reasonable person, why would she do this?

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Personally I think prostitution should be legal anyway, this whole things seems pretty pointless. Maybe it gets her points with constituents on Twitter or something.

I'm not sure whether it's directly related but there was a recent change in prostitution-related policy in Washtenaw County.

Sex Work Policy

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... For these reasons and others, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office will no longer file criminal charges that are based solely on the consensual exchange, between adults, of sex for money. The Prosecutor’s Office, however, will continue to vigorously pursue sex work-adjacent criminal charges, including charges involving violence, trafficking, or the victimization of children.

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Prostitute or Prostitution are not derogatory words. It's simple way to speak it rather calling it along name.

I’d imagine they’d prefer “prostitute” over “hooker” or “lot lizard” anyway.

I agree that prostitution should be legal. Tax and regulate it and the state would likely get more money than they’re getting off legal weed.

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Originally Posted by CassTechGrad

It’s part of the “race to the bottom” by normalizing all forms of human deviancy.

Rep. Yancey seams like a reasonable person, why would she do this?

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A reasonable person would not use the sentence you did.

I guess it would be one profession where one could make good money and not be saddled by college debt.

Decriminalizing prostitution seems to be all the rage across the country as of late,interesting how the emphasis is on decriminalizing the act and not the act of actually paying for the services,which would be a lot easier.

But on the other hand where are all the pimps going to find employment at ?

Cannot sell weed,cannot have stables,maybe that really is the way to solve crime,if we decriminalized everything there would be no criminals,life would be easy.

To some people, words matter oh, so much.

We think that by changing the word, we can change public perception. Its certainly easier than actually changing our own behavior.

We won't magically liberate the oppressed 'sex worker'. They will remain under the thumb of their pimp. But we sure will feel better never having to say 'prostitute'.

And making us feel better is oh, so important.

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Originally Posted by Richard

if we decriminalized everything there would be no criminals, life would be easy.

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We don't need to decriminalize "EVERYTHING", I've never seen anyone advocate for that.

But let's decriminalize a bunch of victimless crimes.
Prostitution by consenting adults.
Weed.
Selling alcohol on Sunday or Christmas day.

It doesn't benefit society to try to project religious values on people. If people want to subscribe to your religious beliefs or your values, they are free to do so. Let people do it willingly. We don't need to force people.

Take the money we save and use it for prevention programs.

Richard, what do you gain by keeping prostitution illegal?

For one thing, not all "prostitutes" are women; plenty of young men have sold their bodies for money, drugs or food. I think the thing behind this is that many young persons, not just women, are being forced into the trade or "white slavery" and don't have the option of "prostituting" themselves, so the "engaged in the sex trade" makes it less perjorative.

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Originally Posted by CassTechGrad

State Rep. Tenisha Yancey who represents Detroit has introduced MI-HB4098 which would, among other thing, change the penal code to remove the word “prostitute” and replace it with “person engaged in commercial sexual activity”. I guess this is to eliminate the stigma associated with a woman selling her body to any stranger who walks by. It’s part of the “race to the bottom” by normalizing all forms of human deviancy. Rep. Yancey seams like a reasonable person, why would she do this?

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Originally Posted by Scottathew

Richard, what do you gain by keeping prostitution illegal

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Satisfaction at imposing one’s conservative religious or moral code on others, most likely. We could always bring back prohibition too.

As is the case with alcohol and marijuana, sex work shouldn’t be criminalized but regulated. Law enforcement resources can be better spent elsewhere. Forced prostitution and violent pimps are one thing. I personally see nothing wrong with consensual paid sex work.

Last time I was in Nevada or The Netherlands I didn’t detect societal collapse.

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Originally Posted by jcole

For one thing, not all "prostitutes" are women; plenty of young men have sold their bodies for money, drugs or food. I think the thing behind this is that many young persons, not just women, are being forced into the trade or "white slavery" and don't have the option of "prostituting" themselves, so the "engaged in the sex trade" makes it less perjorative.

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There are plenty of young people today who are “seeking arrangements” to help with college costs or living expenses. Pretty easy on the web these days for an entrepreneurial gal or guy.

By "forced" I mean literally by people that are selling them into the trade, be it parents, other family or trusted adults that they depend on to live. Some are groomed from childhood.

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Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

There are plenty of young people today who are “seeking arrangements” to help with college costs or living expenses. Pretty easy on the web these days for an entrepreneurial gal or guy.

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To weigh-in for a bit here, I will say that which is legalized usually increases - whatever it is. Therefore, looking at the impact of prostitution from where we are now may differ once legalized.

From my work and engagement in Detroit, particularly with teens, my main concern is where this impacts our youth. What does it tell them? Are they more exposed in some manner directly or indirectly?

Otherwise I could/ would say from a somewhat libertarian perspective [as I'm not a full-out libertarian] adults will DO what adults do [based on whatever value, expedience or need present].

But children must be protected. Further, from watching the cultural shifts and my experience working with and counseling young people, I'm noticing an increasing overlay of adult behaviors/ choices impacting children.

With regards to who's 'imposing' what, there's alot going forth at the application level. We're witnessing a great deal of policy change, and judgement re. newly asserted and imposed orthodoxies [values]. And not just from 'conservatives' and or the religious!

When one agrees to a new 'policy', then it's fine - if not then it's an imposition I'm noticing increasingly. This speaks to a broader discussion inclusive, and also beyond the present idea of legalized prostitution.

Final thoughts: Why has prostitution not been legalized here in the US up to this point? What impact on culture and people [including children] does legalization pose? Who is protected? Who's exposed?

Prostitution is a very complex issue, and too often that which is championed to be legalized does not take into account unintended, under appreciated consequences at many levels.

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Originally Posted by Scottathew

We don't need to decriminalize "EVERYTHING", I've never seen anyone advocate for that.

But let's decriminalize a bunch of victimless crimes.
Prostitution by consenting adults.
Weed.
Selling alcohol on Sunday or Christmas day.

It doesn't benefit society to try to project religious values on people. If people want to subscribe to your religious beliefs or your values, they are free to do so. Let people do it willingly. We don't need to force people.

Take the money we save and use it for prevention programs.

Richard, what do you gain by keeping prostitution illegal?

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I do not gain anything from it,illegal or not,the only time I attempted to partake in it was overseas and she was a he which kinda killed that urge.

It really has nothing to do with religion and more so about what we as society determines what core values are.

Look at Las Vegas,they have legal brothels but yet still arrest prostitutes every day on the strip,the Netherlands has legalized window shopping comfort women,but yet the illegal side still exists.

Personally I think decriminalizing works better then making things totally legal,I grew up,kinda,in the 70s,weed was decriminalized and you could get caught with up to 1/4 LB for personal consumption and as long as you did not have a scale or baggies,you went on your way.

No matter what you make legal there always remains the dark side of it that is worse when it goes underground.

In my neighborhood they have found 6 girls dead in 3 years,they start out healthy and selling themselves for drugs and month's later they OD.

Instead of fighting to make it legal,an uphill battle,decriminalizing it and looking the other way would divert resources to where it is needed.

They have been trying to flat out legalize it for over 100 years and all they have accomplished is 4 or 5 legal brothels in one state.

If it is legal it just becomes another service industry tied up in red tape and those who really need help still fall through the cracks.

Just to add a little bit,I watched an piece on prostitution in Cuba,a woman who was an attorney by day,needed extra funds to paint her apartment,so she was hooking at night - to buy paint.

If they divert resources to the core issues driving those into that trade,fine,but it’s like the lottery and legalized gambling and now weed,the claim is always to raise tax revenue for the schools and little children,but yet the schools are still bankrupt and weed is still sold illegally,the numbers racket and illegal gambling is still rolling right along.

Its going to take a bit more then,hey let’s make it legal,it just doesn’t end there.